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Post by horsea on Jul 6, 2011 22:22:28 GMT -5
One of my winter squash plants (Buttercup) has a female flower about to open, but no males even approaching readyness to open yet. I've never encountered this before. It is of concern to me because I have to manually pollinate or there's a good chance the little squashlets will abort due to poor pollination, as has happened several times in the past.
Normally, there's a bunch of males open and all ready [smirk wink smirk] to make hay with the girls.
Anybody here ever notice this on their squash plants? Tks.
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Post by redneckplanter on Jul 16, 2011 9:34:04 GMT -5
usually males first if hot weather.lol i try to hand pollinate. but the bees do ok too.lol
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Post by coppice on Jul 17, 2011 8:21:42 GMT -5
This too shall pass. Unless critters/bugs kill plants, boy will meet girl blossoms.
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Post by horsea on Jul 18, 2011 13:06:53 GMT -5
Thanks, kids, for your advice. You are of course correct! Some days passed, and finally boys & girls bloomed simultaneously (tho not every day). But I made sure I "did the deed" for them.
It is fun getting up on a fine summer morning and going straight to the garden and playing matchmaker. I simply can't risk waiting around for the bees to spread pollen around, since I have 4 varieties close together and I wish to save the seeds for next year (God willing), and don't want cross pollination!
My 4 varieties are: Buttercup, Jaspee de Vendee, Guatemala Blue & a volunteer, probably Thelma Sanders (okay, that won't cross with the others, I don't think).
What winter squash varieties are y'all growing this year?
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Post by gulfcoastguy on Jul 18, 2011 16:35:28 GMT -5
Tahitian Melon, Musquee de Provence, Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck, Butternut Violina, Illinois, Green Cushaw. The only two of these that might do for your zone would be the Pennsylvania Dutch Crooknecks and the Illinois. The others are 110 to 120 days to maturity. Well the Green Cushaw is supposedly 90 days but I won't recommend it till this years crop is in.
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Post by sorellina on Jul 19, 2011 13:10:43 GMT -5
Ciao Horsea-
I've got Tonda Padana and Godiva Pumpkin doing pretty well so far at home. The Musquee de Province got planted late and is still small. We'll see if I get any. I also have Marina di Chioggia at the community garden and that one will probably be my most successful. I was over there the other day and I have a lot of fruit-set, whereas at home, I have only one Tonda Padana and Godiva so far.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2011 16:43:05 GMT -5
I always hand pollinate too, to get a bigger harvest. However, hand pollinating alone will not prevent cross pollination. I get a lot of crosses and I hand pollinate all the female flowers that open. I enjoy going out early in the morning and pollinating the squash too! It's a lovely way to spend the morning! I had all males blooms this year for a long time. I thought I wasn't going to get any squash at all, but there are 6 out there growing. I am only getting 6 fruits out of 19 plants this year, really poor numbers but, at least, I am getting some. I also planted 'sweet dumpling' and have three of those growing. I planted 'Upper Ground Sweet Potato Squash' as well. I think there is only 1 or 2 of those out there. Really poor harvest this year! My main squash, of which I have 6, are Hopi Black. We love it! You can read about it here: providence-acres.blogspot.com/2010/11/perfect-squash.htmlI like to plant one each of maxima, mixta, moschata and pepo so I don't worry about cross pollination anymore. I just don't have the time or focus to prevent it. Next year I will grow butternut instead of the sweet potato squash. Both are moschatas. The 'Sweet Dumpling' is a pepo so I don't grow zucchini. We don't eat it much anyway. I am looking for a large sweet meaty mixta (cushaw) to grow also. If anyone has seeds that they would like to share, I'd love to trade for them - large, meaty and sweet orange flesh.
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